


Literature and Lattes

by NKNovak



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Azula is a journalism major, Barista!Azula, F/F, Ty Lee and Mai are English Majors, happy valentine's day, or whatever the atla equivalent of an English major is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:02:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NKNovak/pseuds/NKNovak
Summary: Azula works part-time at a coffee shop and Ty Lee loves caffeine.Ty Lee needs help with her essay and Azula is her college’s favorite literature critic.A perfect match made over Literature and Lattes.~A valentine’s day gift for my writing partner, my friend, and my part-time murder-wife <3
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	Literature and Lattes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [missobsessed22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/missobsessed22/gifts).



Iroh was heartbroken. Azula thought her uncle was being dramatic. There are worse things in this world she could be doing than working part-time in a coffee shop. Sure, she could have worked at The Jasmine Dragon, her uncle’s tea house, but this job offered the same pay _and_ she gets discounts on the coffee, Azula loves coffee (read: caffeine) more than tea.

The interior was also very different from The Jasmine Dragon. The Jasmine Dragon’s décor emphasized comfort, warmth, and indulgence with soft lighting, plush rugs, and comfortable seating. Meanwhile, Elemental Expresso’s design style included very light wood tones. There was no clutter, it was clean and organized, everything was in its place and had a purpose, every piece of furniture and decoration was simple. Azula couldn’t have designed it better herself.

She recognized a lot of Elemental Expresso’s clientele since it was mostly students and some professors from the college she attended. There was a cafe on campus, but it was an overpriced chain, meanwhile, this one offered a discount for students, so they were all willing to walk the extra few blocks off campus in between classes and study sessions.

The job was nothing special, there could be an endless hour where she’s behind the counter with nothing to do, and then with no warning the place is packed. There are the nice customers who thank her, smile, and tip but she also has to deal with the privileged assholes who rattle off a list of what they want in their coffee that’s a mile long, tell her to smile, and then get angry when she says they need a student ID to prove they are a student to get the discount, those people don’t tip. Typical part-time job, nothing she can’t handle.

Then, one day, in walks a girl Azula doesn’t recognize but judging from the backpack on her back she must attend Azula’s college. She’s dressed from head to toe in pink, has one long ridiculous braid running down her back, and a stupid smile on her face which Azula assumes must be there at all times, despite all this Azula manages to not hate her on sight, in fact, she can’t take her eyes off her.

“Triple-shot caramel macchiato with nonfat milk and make it a medium, please. Wait, maybe I should have a large, it’s been a long day. . . but if I have too much caffeine, I won’t sleep tonight. . . I can have a medium and treat myself with full-fat milk. . .”

Azula snaps out of just staring at her and says the first thing that pops into her customer service brain, “you’re holding up my line.”

The girl’s smile turns into a frown. 

Azula did that. 

The girl turns her head and sees that there are a lot of people lined up behind her, it’s noon, the morning classes have finished, and everyone is getting their daily dose of caffeine so they can power through their afternoon classes. 

Azula feels bad for making the girl frown (a rare occurrence on Azula’s part) and it’s made worse when the girl actually apologizes for holding up the line and moves to step off it.

Azula stops her, “just go with a medium, the large is too overpriced for the amount of coffee you get”

The girl smiled, “thanks.”

“And if you show me your college ID, I can give you a discount,” Azula added.

Azula didn’t think the girl's smile could get wider but it could. She glanced at the girl’s ID; her name was Ty Lee.

Ty Lee usually doesn’t take receipts when offered but this time she did, just because she knew the name of the barista would be on it: Azula. The name sounded familiar, but Ty Lee couldn’t place where she knew the name from. 

Ty Lee picked up the school newspaper and flipped through it as she sipped her coffee in the college library. Finally, she landed on the literary criticism column, the only part of the paper worth reading if you asked her. The author of that column reviewed the top place winners of the college’s literary competitions, the reviews were always fair, if not a little mean, and funny, the section always ended with who she thought should have got first place. 

It’s funny to think that the school paper was thinking about cutting the section but the new author who took over the column last year has turned it into a must-read. Today, however, Ty Lee skimmed through most of the section until she found what she was looking for, the review of Mai’s submission to _The Lady Kiku Poetry Competition_. The college announced her as a winner but what did the literary columnist think. The columnist loved the poem and was annoyed that a sophomore waited a whole year before submitting, even going so far as to say Mai had the skills to rival Lady Kiku herself (a famous Fire Nation poet and considered one of the best from her generation) which was not something the columnist would take lightly. After reading the review Ty Lee glanced at the columnist’s name: Azula. So, that’s why the name sounded familiar.

Azula continued to see Ty Lee, always coming in at noon, ordering quickly, and leaving, not that she could stay if she wanted too, tables filled up fast during lunchtime. Since she came in and ordered the same thing every day, Azula made her coffee in advance so it would be hot and ready when she made it to the counter. Ty Lee must have appreciated it because she started to tip a little extra.

Ty Lee wasn’t able to make it to the coffee shop one day during noon. She had to drive her sister to the airport. She didn’t even like that particular sister that much, but she was the only one who could drive at the moment, so it was up to her.

Instead, she went that afternoon, after one of her classes, and since it was less busy, she decided to stay and do some work on her laptop instead of going back to her dorm or the library.

Ty Lee doesn’t have many regrets but letting Mai convince her to take this creative non-fiction class was one of them. She is struggling and it must be evident on her face because Azula stopped wiping off the empty table next to her to ask if she was okay.

“Oh, yeah,” Ty Lee replied, “just having some trouble with this assignment.”

Azula nodded and then disappeared into the back. 

Ty Lee found another thing to regret, she told one of her favorite writers on campus she’s having trouble with a little assignment and now she probably thinks Ty Lee’s a moron. However, when Azula stepped back into the coffee shop's main room, now without her apron and logo visor she walked straight over to Ty Lee.

“Y’know, I’m a pretty good writer myself, I wouldn’t mind helping you since I just got off work.”

Ty Lee smiled and moved over so Azula could sit down with her and see what she was working on, “thanks, Azula.”

Azula was very helpful, telling Ty Lee what needed to be fixed but also how to fix it. 

“I had this professor last semester, so I know what they like,” Azula explained.

She not only helped Ty Lee with the one assignment but sometimes Ty Lee would come into the coffee shop when she knew Azula’s shift was about to end and ask for her help with other assignments, Azula was always willing to lend a hand.

One day, Ty Lee could see from the window that there a line inside the coffee shop, which was unusual for this time of day. When she stepped inside, however, she knew why. A man was yelling at Azula. He was going on about her “bad attitude”, he wanted “a cup of coffee sold with a smile, not this trash”, and he wanted a refund and to see her manager. 

Neither, Azula nor any of her co-workers could get a word in edgewise.

Azula did keep trying to talk, “sir, if you tell me your order again, I can make you a new drink” and “sir, if you want a refund, I need you to swipe your card again” and “my manager isn’t in today.”

Ty Lee marched to the front of the line, she was mad, this guy was obviously upsetting Azula, she had never seen Azula look so distressed before. 

“Listen, mister,” Ty Lee started, not her strongest start but she was angry, she wasn’t thinking about what she was saying, “she doesn’t owe you anything! You are holding up the line and berating this nice woman, who will smile when she feels like it! Now, stop making a scene, take your coffee, and get the hell out of here!”

The guy looked at Ty Lee, at Azula and her co-workers who said nothing, and at the rest of the customers who had annoyed expressions on their faces, obviously directed at him. 

“You just lost yourself a customer,” he said to Azula before walking out.

Azula let out a breath and ran a hand down her face. Ty Lee wanted to help but one of Azula’s coworkers took her place at the register and told her she could leave a few minutes early. Azula disappeared into the back room and Ty Lee took her place on the back of the line.

Ty Lee noticed Azula spent a little extra time in the backroom. By the time she came out Ty Lee had her coffee and was sitting at her usual table.

“Hello, Azula.”

Azula looked over at Ty Lee and smiled, she looked better than she had before. She down across from Ty Lee and said, “thank you for getting that guy to leave.”

“No problem,” Ty Lee replied, “that guy was being a dickhead someone had to tell him off.”

“I’d never seen you angry before, I kind of liked seeing this whole other side of you”

“Well, of course, _you_ don’t see me angry.”

Azula paused for a moment before replying, “you know if you ever get tired of coffee, I know a great tea house nearby, I could take you there.”

“Tired of coffee?! Who could ge- wait. . . Did you just ask me out?

“Wednesday?” Azula suggested one of the days had off, “noon?”

Ty Lee smiled and nodded, “see you Wednesday at noon.”


End file.
